Second group of Sudanese evacuees back home from CAR

January 11, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – A second group of Sudanese consisting of 149 people who had been evacuated from Central Africa (CAR) arrived at Khartoum airport late on Friday night as part of government’s efforts to get its citizens out of the war-gripped nation.

Sudan official news agency (SUNA) reported that a third and final group of 120 people will be flown out of Bangui in the next couple of days.

"The process of evacuating Sudanese from CAR comes as part of the government’s concern with its citizens," Ambassador Abdulaziz Hassan Saleh, the director of Consulates and Expatriates department at the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told SUNA.

Saleh said that 205 nationals returned home last week putting the number of total evacuees at 354.

Last week the Sudanese government said that one evacuation mission was aborted over the deteriorating security situation. It also disclosed that its diplomatic staff was under threat of armed militias stationed outside the embassy.

Reuters said that governments of other African countries have evacuated nearly 30,000 of their citizens caught up in the violence.

CAR President Michel Djotodia and his Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye agreed to quit on Friday under intense international pressure after they failed to halt months of inter-religious violence that has driven a million people, a quarter of the country’s population, from their homes.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Banguito celebrate the departure of Djotodia, who was swept to power by mainly Muslim rebels, known as Seleka, last March.

Abuses by Seleka forces had led to the creation of Christian self-defense militia and killings that evoked memories of Rwanda’s genocide 20 years ago.

(ST)

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